The present invention generally relates to automatic transaction apparatuses, and more particularly to an automatic transaction apparatus comprising a conveyor mechanism for mechanically conveying a transaction medium. The present invention is suitable for an automatic teller machine (xe2x80x9cATMxe2x80x9d), a cash dispenser (xe2x80x9cCDxe2x80x9d) and an automatic depository (xe2x80x9cADxe2x80x9d), for example.
The automatic transaction apparatus is such a system that receives and/or dispenses, etc. one or more transaction media (such as bills, coins, cards, train tickets, admission tickets, stock certificates and other securities, pari-mutuel tickets, lottery tickets, goods and medical treatment cards) in accordance with transaction information entered by a user. Although the automatic transaction apparatus in this application broadly covers an automatic money loan machine, an automatic card issuance machine and an automatic tab output device, etc., the most typical example is an ATM provided in a financial institution like a bank, etc.
The ATMs are expected to be provided hereafter in various places without limited to anywhere in a financial institution and to offer services to customers (users) on an around-the-clock basis.
The ATM comprises a conveyer part that contacts a transaction medium such as a bill (optionally with a coin), a bankbook, a card and a transaction statement slip, etc., and conveys the same between a front cover (which is generally called xe2x80x9cfacadexe2x80x9d) of an ATM housing and varied kinds of processing parts by utilizing a frictional force. The conveyer part comprises a dispenser part that dispenses bills out of a stack when money is to be withdrawn. The conveyer part, which is typically driven mechanically by a motor, comprises a conveyer belt or a dispensing roller made of rubber, etc. The ATM is expected to quickly handle transactions such as of depositing money, withdrawing money, entering the transaction on a bankbook and wire-transferring money, etc.; therefore, each ATM manufacturer has run a simulation and set a most suitable rotational speed of a motor common to (or alternatively according to) each process.
As may be understood, however, a place in which the ATM is provided may not have such a temperature environment as a simulation room of manufacturer, and the ATM has a metal housing in particular with high thermal conductivity, which is sensitive to the external temperature. Rubber or the like which constitutes an element of the conveyer part is generally cured by a drop in temperature. The extent of its cure may depend upon a kind of rubber or the degree of drop in temperature, etc., but no matter how little the cure proceeds, the cure certainly makes the frictional coefficient lower. As a result, the friction forces, for example, between the conveyer belt and a bill, and between the dispensing roller and a bill decrease, whereby the bill slips out of or inclines relative to a conveying route, causing a jam when conveyed or dispensed.
Further, a motor as a driving source generally reduces the torque as the temperature drops, and therefore, may cause an ununiformed rotation or a startup error at a low temperature. The ununiformed rotation or startup error may prevent a stable conveyance or dispensing, and may cause a jam.
In winter when the temperature lowers (especially in Japan), air becomes dry and static electricity is likely. For instance, when a bill reaches an entrance of a storing part, it is released from the conveyer belt, thereafter falling at a storing position in the storing part and getting aligned. Electrostatic repulsion generated between the bill and the stored bills can cause a jam during the storing step.
Such a jam causes the ATM services to be suspended and inconveniences not only the pertinent customer but also all the customers waiting behind him in a queue. Particularly, if the ATM that operates an around-the-clock suffers from the jam after hours when no ATM maintenance person is available, users are put to great inconvenience.
Such a cold environment is not limited to a cold district but are common, for example, early in the morning in winter. An ATM in the corner of a bank is generally equipped with a heater, but many temperature adjusting devices are turned off at night. Therefore, operated in the early morning, the conveyer systems in the ATM are in a low-temperature state.
To solve these problems, it is conceivable to mount in the ATM a heater that would heat the housing when the external temperature lowered or to mount an electrostatic remover therein, but they would result in a larger and more expensive ATM.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a novel and useful automatic transaction apparatus and a control method thereof in which the above disadvantages are eliminated.
More specifically, it is an exemplified object of the present invention to provide an automatic transaction apparatus capable of stably conducting transactions even in a low-temperature and/or charged environment and a control method thereof.
In order to achieve the above object, an automatic transaction apparatus as an exemplified embodiment of the present invention comprises a housing, an entry part provided in the housing for receiving transaction information and/or a transaction medium, a processing part which is provided in the housing and handles the transaction information arid transaction medium, a conveyer part which is provided in the housing and conveys the transaction medium corresponding to the transaction information in a mode selected from plural operation modes, a temperature sensor measuring a temperature of the conveyer part, and a controller provided in the housing for connected with the temperature sensor, controlling the conveyer part and switching the operation mode in accordance with a temperature measured by the temperature sensor. According to the inventive automatic transaction apparatus, a controller controls an operation of the conveyer part according to the temperature.
An initial operation control method for an automatic transaction apparatus as an exemplified embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of activating the automatic transaction apparatus which carries out transactions utilizing a transaction medium according to transaction information, measuring a temperature of a conveyer part capable of conveying the transaction medium, running idle the conveyer part at a first speed when the temperature of the conveyer part is higher than a predetermined temperature, and running idle the conveyer part at a second speed lower than the first speed when the temperature of the conveyer part is lower than the predetermined temperature. According to the method, the automatic transaction apparatus runs at idle at a low speed in the initial operation when at low temperature.
An initial operation control method for an automatic transaction apparatus as another exemplified embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of activating a power supply to the automatic transaction apparatus which carries out transactions utilizing a transaction medium according to transaction information, measuring a temperature of a conveyer part capable of conveying the transaction medium, running idle the conveyer part for a first period when the temperature of the conveyer part is higher than a predetermined temperature, running idle the conveyer part for a second period longer than the first period when the temperature of the conveyer part is lower than the predetermined temperature. According to this method, the automatic transaction apparatus runs idle for a long period in the initial operation when at low temperature.
A control method of an automatic transaction apparatus as an exemplified embodiment of the present invention is a control method of the automatic transaction apparatus comprising a housing, an entry part provided in the housing and receiving transaction information and/or a transaction medium, a processing part which is provided in the housing and handles the transaction information and transaction medium, and a conveyer part which is provided in the housing and conveys the transaction medium corresponding to the transaction information in a mode selected from plural operation modes, the control method comprising the steps of measuring a temperature of the conveyer part, and switching the operation mode according to the measured temperature. According to this control method, the controller controls a conveyer part according to the temperature.
Other objects and further features of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings.